Patients knock proposed medical marijuana changes
Courtesy Good Chemistry
Patients are expected to speak out against the state's medical marijuana program in Holyoke on Thursday, during the second of two Department of Public Health hearings this week.
Patients spoke out against the state's medical marijuana program at hearing Tuesday, saying a proposed overhaul does not go far enough.
The Department of Public Health held a 10 a.m. hearing in Boston on amendments to its medical marijuana regulations, including measures that would allow nurse practitioners to certify patients and let dispensaries post their product prices online. A second hearing on the regulation is planned for Thursday in Holyoke, and written testimony will be accepted through Friday.
The Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, which backed the 2012 ballot question that legalized medical cannabis, planned a press conference before Tuesday’s hearing to discuss their stances on specific changes.
According to the alliance, the changes are "minor and do not fix major problems with the program around patient registration, hardship, and confidentiality," and some "stray far from the original intent of the law MPAA crafted."
The MPAA supports amendments dealing with nurse practitioners and dispensary prices, along with registration for caregiving institutions such as hospices and nursing homes.
In the new legislative session that began Wednesday, the alliance plans to back bills that would address issues of patient and physician confidentiality, provide protections for pediatric patients and streamline registration for "qualifying patients with debilitating conditions."
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